[phydaux42]

If I have a commlink and a datajack, do I need anything else to make phone calls?  What about video phone?

[ZeConster]

From the commlink section:

Commlinks are essentially the digital Swiss army knives of the modern world. Even the most basic of them includes AR Matrix browsing capability, multiple telephone and radio modes of real-time talk and text, music players, micro trid-projectors, touchscreen displays, built in high-resolution digital video and still image cameras, image/text and RFID tag scanners, built-in GPS guidance systems, chip players, credstick readers, retractable earbuds, voice-access dialing, text-to-speech and speech-to-text technologies, and a shock and water resistant case.

So you don't even need a datajack for those things - only sim modules, which provide VR functionality, need trodes or a datajack.

[phydaux42]

What I'm asking is if I don't want to walk around with 'trodes on my head, or ear buds & throat mic, then can the DNI of my datajack substitute?

[ZeConster]

And what I'm saying is that for something as simple as a phone call or video conference, you don't need any of those things.
Or is your actual question "how can I make phone calls without running the risk of being overheard in meatspace, and without having to whisper or use trodes or ear buds and a throat mic?"? Because in that case, the answer is "yes, a datajack is sufficient to be able to use a sim module so you can have your conversation in VR".

[All4BigGuns]

You just have to "rag doll" to do it.

[Valashar]

You don't even need to 'rag doll' or go into VR at all with a comlink and datajack. All datajacks come with a short retractable spool of data cable and a universal connector. All comlinks have a universal data port. Plug yourself into the comlink and use mental commands over AR.

[phydaux42]

Is it possible to do without the data cable?

[ZeConster]

If you want to be able to go full VR without it being obvious, you could get a commlink implanted as Headware (0.2 Essence, costs 2,000¥ on top of the costs of the commlink itself, sim module included, not recommended you do this with anything less than the most secure commlink you can get at chargen)

[Xenon]

Is it possible to do without the data cable?

yes.

you control your commlink wireless from your datajack
(or your trodes if you don't have a datajack and still want to use DNI)

if you dont have a datajack or trodes then you need to access AR without DNI.
This mean you need earbuds, image link in your contacts, subvocal microphone etc.
(or do you need that anyway if going AR? DNI only for VR....?)

there is little to no reason to ever use a wire to your commlink
(not even for security reasons since  your commlink will transmit wireless anyway and someone with good skills in electronic warefare, use a cyberdeck and already hacked a mark on your commlink can snoop your communications out and to your commlink - you using a wire to your datajack does not matter)

you can have your video chat in a seperate window in your AR
actually everything you can do in VR you can do in AR.
Even "flying around" in the matrix or hacking devices (but you need a cyberdeck for that) can be done in AR.


Going VR is always kinda obvious (rag doll).

[All4BigGuns]

A datajack gives you a direct neural interface
(p. 222), which can be handy in a lot of situations.
It also comes with a retractable spool of micro-cable
(about a meter long) that lets you directly interface
with any electronic device via a universal access cable.
Datajacks are equipped with their own cache of storage
memory for downloading or saving files. Two datajack
users can string a fiberoptic cable between themselves
to conduct a private mental communication immune to
radio interception or eavesdropping.

Where in this description do you see that it communicates with devices wirelessly?

Now granted, for some strange reason, turning on a wireless adapter in it can somehow reduce Noise, but that's just another "bonus" and another of the silly ones at that.

[Xenon]

all devices communicate wireless.
cables is so matrix 2.0
the single only device that does not communicate wireless in the entire SR5 book is a datachip...

[Psikerlord]

what? implanted commlink comes wih DNI. how else could is possibly function. same as every other bit of cyber u have. you think it, the device works. u dont need a datajack, image screen, any of that, the commlink is hooked up to your brain directly. datajack is just if you want to connect to something else by a cable.

[Emil_Barr]

what? implanted commlink comes wih DNI. how else could is possibly function. same as every other bit of cyber u have. you think it, the device works. u dont need a datajack, image screen, any of that, the commlink is hooked up to your brain directly. datajack is just if you want to connect to something else by a cable.

Not all cyber has DNI anymore. Wired Reflexes, for example, does not. You can only turn it on manually by pressing a button, or issuing a command through wireless.

[ZeConster]

Per the side tab on page 222, a DNI is obtained by doing any of the following:

• Wearing trodes
• Having an implanted datajack
• Having an implanted commlink
• Having an implanted cyberdeck

[Psikerlord]

Hmm they have changed the terminology a bit since SR4 I think?

It says p.451 under augmentation that "almost all" cyberware has a "neural interface" ( i think they used to call this DNI?)  that lets you mentally activate and control it, adn you can use this in place of wireless control, prevent hacking as long as the moving parts are connected to your nerves or whatever. Wireless functionality just makes the ware better.

P.222 talks about the "direct neural interface" or DNI which is, as I read the context, specifically talking about how you get acess to VR. So it makes sense that that would be via a datajack, implanted commlink/deck or trodes.

Hmm yes interesting about wired reflexes, they take a complex action to turn on "manually" as opposed to simple action wirelessly. That is kinda weird and does seem to imply a physical button, doesnt it, since wirelessly is quicker as a simple action... I guess maybe you could have a button in your palm that you press and hold for a moment which fires up those reflexes!  (or actually i guess there is any number of buttons you could think of, press tongue to top of mouth button, make a certain muscle flex/motion, etc.

Contrast cyberspurs which reference "neural impulse" as a way to ready them.